by Paul Coro, USA TODAY Sports

by Paul Coro, USA TODAY Sports

Less than halfway into his fifth season with a third team, Michael Beasley, who has an $18 million contract with the Phoenix Suns, has bottomed out.

In Saturday's game at his former Minnesota home, Beasley went 1 for 8 from the field with a goaltending call providing his only make. A quick fourth-quarter yank limited him to 10 minutes. On Monday night in Oklahoma City, Beasley did not play in a game when healthy for the first time in his career.

Given the enormous attention he received from the front office and the long leash of 20 starts he received from the coaching staff, Beasley has only himself to examine for why he is having his worst NBA season when he was talking about proving that he could be a maximum-salary player.

If Beasley looked in the mirror after not playing in Oklahoma City, he could not even see himself. Visiting with childhood friend Kevin Durant's friends and family inside Chesapeake Energy Arena, Beasley wore a ski mask as he assured, "I'm smiling," when asked about not playing.

"Maybe it's my fault," Beasley said. "I'm going to watch film like I've been doing. I'm going to evaluate and critique myself and go from there. There ain't nothing I can do but look forward and up. I'm already at the bottom so there really isn't too many places I can look. I'm just ready for 2012 to be over, dating back to even last season. I'm going to keep coming into this game optimistic. I put enough hours in and take enough jump shots. I'm in the gym pretty much longer than anybody in the NBA. I'm going to stay optimistic and trust my game."

A mask does not hide the disappointment of his season. Beasley, the Suns' third highest paid active player, is averaging career lows in points (10.2) and rebounds (3.5). He is shooting a career-worst 37.3 percent from the field after being a 45.5 percent shooter over four seasons with 177 starts.

Recently, Beasley's stats have deteriorated into 32 percent shooting and a 6.3 scoring average in the nine games since his 18-point first half in his reserve debut.

"I just closed my fist for the first time four days ago. That was pretty much half of it. I shoot about 1,000 jump shots every day. I shoot 300 or 400 before the game. There's not really too much I can do on my behalf. If there is, I will."

NBA scouts are befuddled that the Suns thought they would get something different out of Beasley and say Suns coach Alvin Gentry had to move Beasley out of the starting lineup to not lose his team.

Gentry said Beasley's "DNP" on Monday was more circumstance because "we had a good rotation going" with P.J. Tucker's one-time start.

"I ain't got no choice but to believe in the coach," Beasley said. "If you don't believe in the coach, then we're never going to have a winning system or atmosphere. Whatever Coach says, that's what I'm going to do, even if I have to sit on the bench with a bag over my head."

But the team is losing. The Suns are 11-21 and on a six-game losing streak after an earlier seven-game losing streak.

"That falls on their head," Beasley said. "I'm doing what I can do, what's been asked of me, which is not a lot. Until they ask me to do something about it, I'm going to be on the bench."

Co-captain Jermaine O'Neal said the team will support Beasley but "the rest is up to him."

The Suns appear committed to experimenting with Beasley into next season but are not getting what they sought when they made him their free-agency priority.